The present invention is directed at saving lives by preventing or reducing fatal vehicle accidents. The present invention relates to a system and method for preventing or reducing accidents caused by driving while intoxicated (DWI) and other driver impairments, such as drowsiness that may be due to lack of sleep, long driving hours, fatigue, or side effects of medication, etc. The present invention could also reduce vehicle insurance rates for all drivers by reducing and/or eliminating vehicle accidents caused by the aforementioned.
There exists in the prior art a number of individual devices to aid in preventing accident and/or limiting fatalities or injuries due to vehicle accidents. For example, anti-lock brake systems have proven effective in reducing accidents due to slippery road conditions by preventing the wheels from locking up. Air bags in vehicles are effective in reducing the fatal injuries caused by vehicle accidents. Windshield wipers and defogging systems have been effective devices for reducing accidents by improving driver visibility. However, none of these systems, alone or in combination, are effective for preventing accidents from occurring when a driver who is under the influence or alcohol, or too tired to be an effective driver, gets behind the wheel of a vehicle.
One known system or method in place today for preventing or reducing accidents caused by DWI is for the police to find and stop a drunk driver and arrest him or her. However, the probability of the police finding and catching each driver under the influence is very small. This fatal combination of many drivers under the influence on the road, and the relative small number who are caught, leads to high accident rates and fatalities. As per recent data, there are more deaths due to vehicle accidents every year in the United Sates and other industrialized nations than by any illness or war.
The prior art systems and reliance on police presence are inadequate to meet the demands of eliminating or reducing drunk drivers and those who are too tired to be driving effectively. For example, the probability of the police pulling over a drunk driver is small. Furthermore, there is no real-time system which can provide feedback, or take decisive action, in response to a driver who is drunk, drowsy or has poor response time to certain conditions. The cost to taxpayers by using police in such an inefficient manner is high, and there is a real possibility for bias on the part of police in stopping motorists. Furthermore, designated drivers are often hard to find and at times even they have been consuming alcohol as well. The present invention is directed at overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art and is directed at preventing or reducing the number of fatal vehicle accidents caused by DWI or other driver impairments.